Rudavril, a space designed as a boutique for a fashion designer was meant to emulate an old-time haberdashery with a boutique space to entertain clients and a workshop “in the back”.

Located on Hughes Road, a popular commercial road in South Mumbai, Rudavril posed an interesting challenge. It had a conservative area of 300 sq ft in which the architects, Studio Eight Twenty-three, were tasked with creating a high-end designer boutique along with a creative den.

A detailed photograph showing the wooden frames with the frosted glass panels and the brass grill work. The grill is a minimalised form of the modular tiles crafted for Rudavril.

The interior design originated from the modular tiles that were specially handcrafted for the project. Using an origami-like pattern, the simple geometry of the square tile was transformed to create within it an illusion of greater surface area.

In order to make the most of the three-dimensional tile design and its visual play, it was replicated in three different materials. Beginning with the curated concrete, they moved to handmade wooden tiles and then extended it to brass grill-work.

Standing apart from the layered textures of the showcase area is the workstation of Rudavril. The back wall made completely of glass using the modular brass grill detail, is the only part of the décor that stands out.

An assortment of modern and dated furniture bring an informal charm to the creative space which starkly opposes the formal display of the boutique.

Rudavril, a space designed as a boutique for a fashion designer was meant to emulate an old-time haberdashery with a boutique space to entertain clients and a workshop “in the back”.

Located on Hughes Road, a popular commercial road in South Mumbai, Rudavril posed an interesting challenge. It had a conservative area of 300 sq ft in which the architects, Studio Eight Twenty-three, were tasked with creating a high-end designer boutique along with a creative den.

A detailed photograph showing the wooden frames with the frosted glass panels and the brass grill work. The grill is a minimalised form of the modular tiles crafted for Rudavril.

The interior design originated from the modular tiles that were specially handcrafted for the project. Using an origami-like pattern, the simple geometry of the square tile was transformed to create within it an illusion of greater surface area.

In order to make the most of the three-dimensional tile design and its visual play, it was replicated in three different materials. Beginning with the curated concrete, they moved to handmade wooden tiles and then extended it to brass grill-work.

Standing apart from the layered textures of the showcase area is the workstation of Rudavril. The back wall made completely of glass using the modular brass grill detail, is the only part of the décor that stands out.

An assortment of modern and dated furniture bring an informal charm to the creative space which starkly opposes the formal display of the boutique.

studio eight twenty-three designs Rudavril, a workstation and a boutique within a 300 sq.ft space.

The biggest challenge that Studio Eight Twenty-three faced at Rudavril was the space deficit in which they had to create a stylish boutique and studio for a fashion designer. The square-footage of the space may have been on the smaller side but what escapes most minds is the height that can be used as an advantage. Studio Eight Twenty-three used volume and many other design elements resulting in this minimalist, economical and crafted boutique.

Rudavril, a space designed as a boutique for a fashion designer was meant to emulate an old-time haberdashery with a boutique space to entertain clients and a workshop “in the back”. Located on Hughes Road, a popular commercial road in South Mumbai, Rudavril posed an interesting challenge. It had a conservative area of 300 sq ft in which the architects, studio eight twenty-three, were tasked with creating a high-end designer boutique along with a creative den.

Rudavril, a space designed as a boutique for a fashion designer was meant to emulate an old-time haberdashery with a boutique space to entertain clients and a workshop “in the back”.

An apparel designer is trained to pay special attention to detail and this generally reflects in the interiors of their boutique but instead of cluttering the limited space with details, studio eight twenty-three went a different way.

In order to have both the workstation and showroom in the same space, apart from some clever planning and space designation, the interiors had to be far removed from the usual fussiness of boutiques. So how could one create interest and appeal in an extremely restricted space?

Located on Hughes Road, a popular commercial road in South Mumbai, Rudavril posed an interesting challenge. It had a conservative area of 300 sq ft in which the architects, Studio Eight Twenty-three, were tasked with creating a high-end designer boutique along with a creative den.

A detailed photograph showing the wooden frames with the frosted glass panels and the brass grill work. The grill is a minimalised form of the modular tiles crafted for Rudavril.

In order to make the most of the three-dimensional tile design and its visual play, it was replicated in three different materials. Beginning with the curated concrete, they moved to handmade wooden tiles and then extended it to brass grill-work.

Patterns, Materials and the Illusion of Space

The interior design originated from the modular tiles that were specially handcrafted for the project. Using an origami-like pattern, the simple geometry of the square tile was transformed to create within it an illusion of greater surface area. The subtle pattern with a singular theme was also used on different materials; which brings us to an important aspect of this space – the texture. In order to make the most of the three-dimensional tile design and its visual play, it was replicated in three different materials. Beginning with the curated concrete, they moved to handmade wooden tiles and then extended it to brass grill-work.

The interior design originated from the modular tiles that were specially handcrafted for the project. Using an origami-like pattern, the simple geometry of the square tile was transformed to create within it an illusion of greater surface area.

Warm, Cool, Reflective and Light – the Confluence of Materials

Despite it being a modular pattern, every material lent its own unique aesthetic to the space. The curated concrete was used liberally with its distressed colouring laying a rustic base. The wooden tiles added the much needed warmth but came with their own heavy brown colour. The dark hues of both the concrete as well as the wood, however, needed a complimentary light material in order to have a soft harmony of textures.

A good opposing texture to something as heavy as concrete and wood should be light reflecting or light transmitting. Misted and etched glass fit the bill perfectly as did a metal that has soft light reflecting properties: brass.

In order to make the most of the three-dimensional tile design and its visual play, it was replicated in three different materials. Beginning with the curated concrete, they moved to handmade wooden tiles and then extended it to brass grill-work.

For the overall look of a space that has to sell designer clothing, providing allure and warmth was a must. Bathed in the soft yellow lighting, the space demanded more brass and this was incorporated in the form of frames in which the clothes – the most important part of the space – were hung. Since the background for the clothes had to be unassuming, the clean and simple brass frames with the background of a heavy and dark colour worked perfectly.

Brass was also used to make the minimalist chandelier that reflected the motif of the overarching modular theme. A thin brass divider strip served the purpose of separate the flooring from the butt-cut wood blocks to the green-toned concrete and finally to the flat-cut solid wood floor towards the entrance of the store.

Despite there being a deliberate distinction between the two spaces, the small area does not overpower the user. One barely realises when they have left the showroom behind and entered the work station because of the clever use of partitions.

The Workstation: in sharp contrast with the Showroom

Standing apart from the layered textures of the showcase area is the workstation of Rudavril. The back wall made completely of glass using the modular brass grill detail, is the only part of the décor that stands out.

Standing apart from the layered textures of the showcase area is the workstation of Rudavril. The back wall made completely of glass using the modular brass grill detail, is the only part of the décor that stands out.

The rest is a relaxed and refreshing white that flows from the storage to the table and chairs, steadily getting more brown but still light enough to stand out sharply against the concrete walls and the butt-cut solid wood block flooring. An assortment of modern and dated furniture bring an informal charm to the creative space which starkly opposes the formal display of the boutique.

Despite there being a deliberate distinction between the two spaces, the small area does not overpower the user. One barely realises when they have left the showroom behind and entered the work station because of the clever use of partitions. As all the display walls are folding panels, the designers had the flexibility open up the space more or divide it based on their requirements. The panels have also been made less bulky by starting a few inches above the ground and ending lower than the ceiling so that the continuity of the ceiling and floor can contribute some lightness to the space.

All these materials and textures beautifully bring the required sophistication to the boutique and shifts the focus away from the fact that this environment was created in an extremely cramped space. The visual softness brought by the otherwise hard materials work their magic to make the space a stimulating shopping experience and a relaxing creative space all at once.

An assortment of modern and dated furniture bring an informal charm to the creative space which starkly opposes the formal display of the boutique.

If you didn't know it already, studio eight twenty-three has designed the Birdsong Cafe in Bandra, the recently-opened Versova Social, and the Koramangala Social in Bangalore among many other spaces you may have visited. To check out their work, visit their website: www.studioeighttwentythree.com